Shock absorber for screen doors



G. E. FERRY.

SHOCK ABSGRBER FOR SCREEN DOORS.

kl APPLICATION FILED APRf I. 1921.

mbar/nag Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

I Gilbert Brew-ry,

Zym #7C/fgen,

Patented Noia 23, 1922.

TESN

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR SCREEN DOORS.

Applicationled April 11, 1921. Serial No. 460,388.

ToaZZw/liomit may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT E. FERRY, a citizen ot the lUnited States, residing at maha, in the county of Douglas and State ot Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock Absorbers for creen Doors, ot which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to a device for use in connection with screen doors to prevent undue shocks occasionedby the door when swinging under force of its spring to a closed position, andihas for its object to provide means tor this Vpurpose consisting of few and simple parts so that it may be economically manufactured, will be durable in wear and will be effective in use to prevent jars or excessive vibration.

W ith the foregoing objects in view the invention presents a novel construction, combination and arrangement ot' parts, described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying` drawing7 wherein,-

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing. the device secured to a part of a door frame, the buffer-bar being disposed in its normal, horizontal position. Fig. `2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view of similar parts shown in F ig, 1, a part of a screen door, in section, being added, and the buiTer-bar being shown in an inclined position.` Fig. a is aV broken away view showing` a screen door and door trame. l4`igs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form ol the invention showing, respectively, the butler bar in horizontal and inclined p0- sitions.

Referring no w to the drawing, the invenvtion is shown and described in connection with a screen door 7, mounted by means ot hinges S, to swingft'rom apart et. the door Trame, and provided with a spring 9; and it will be understood that when the screen door is opened, it will normally move to a closed position, the vertical strip a of the .door moving into engagement with the upright str-ip b of the door trame by action of the spring 9, the Contact of these parts being attended with considerable vibration and objectionable noise, depending upon the 'force exerted by the spring.

To prevent the objectionable shocks and noise mentioned, I provide any suitable support, shown herein as a casing 10, to be disposed close to the edge of the strip of the door :trame and secured thereto by screws or other suitable -keepers 11, said casing hav ing an opening c in one of its ends betwee its side walls.

Inthe embodiment of the invention shown in F igs.` 1, 2 and 3, numeral 12 indicates an elongated, kresilient body or buii'er-bar provided near its inner end with a staple or equivalent holder 13, and supported in a horizontal position by any suitable means,

the means herein shown'being the lower pair` of members 11, said bar 12 being normally disposed with one of its ends extending outwardly of they plane ot the upright strip of the door frame, and normally maintained in said extended position byrmeansl cfa spring 1st havingone of its ends` connected with the holder 13, its opposite end being mounted upon a stationary pivot-meml'ier or pin 15 at the outer endvot' the casing.

On account ot' the construction described, the inner end of the bar 12 will normally be disposed adjacent tor a stop-member, the stop-member herein shownbeing `the stationary wall cl of the casing 10, and in operation,wlien the screen door swings toward the upright strip b of the door frame for a closed relation therewith, it will strike the resilient bar 12 with considerable force `and will move it against the stop-member or wall d against the vtorce of the spring 14, which will cause the screen `door to rebound a short distance. As'soon 'as the door re` bounds the spring 14 will causethe bar 12 to again move outwardly ot' the casing. rllie second swinging movement of the screen door toward the door iframe will be accompanied with lesser torce than its iirst movement and this force will be so slight that the bar 12 will strike the stop-member l lightly, and will cause the door to rebound only an appreciable distance." The doortheu, by action ot the spi-ino 9 will be urged to a closed position, its torce being so slight that the spring 14 will not be extended, the result being that the inner end oi the bar 12 will move upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, the spring 14 being retracted and causing the movement of the bar to be lim ited to a circles arc and operating to maintain the staple 13 equidistant from the pin 15 at all times except when the bar 12, while disposed horizontally, is moved against the stop-member or wall d.

The device does not operate at any time to prevent or hinder a complete closure of the screen door. While the door remains closed the bar 12 will remain in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3, and when the door is opened the bar 12 will move by action of gravity to a horizontal position with its outer end projecting outwardly of the casing and outwardly of the door frame as shown in Fig. 1.

The bar 12 is preferably constructed of india rubber so that all appreciable noise may be avoided when struck by the door. It not constructed of india rubber it should be provided with a tip w, shown in Fig. 6, oi india rubber or soft material so that, approXimately, no noise will be occasioned when the door strikes the end of the bar. However, I do not Wish to limit myself to any particular material in the construction of the buffer-bar.

In the modiiied form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a stationary, resilient block d is substituted for the wall (l, above described, and the bar 12 is provided with a slot 16 which receives a stationary guide 17, and a weight is shown mounted upon the inner end or' the bar 12 which normally causes said bar to move by gravity to a horizontal position when the screen door .is opened, the casing 10 and spring 14 remaining the same as already described, the result in the action of the springs 14; and 14, and movements of the buffer-bars 12 and 12 being the same as already described and preventing undue shocks and vibration.

It will be seen that operation would be the same if the casing was dispensed with, provided of course, that equivalent, stationary pins 15 or 15 and stop-members Z or d were provided for the device, and I do not Wish to be limited to the use of a casing, but said casing is preferred since the bufferbars will be protected from injury or displacement. f

It will be appreciated that the device may be manufactured at a very limited cost since the parts are ew, and that any person of ordinary skill may readily apply the device to a door frame in operative position.

It will be seen that the operation oi? the device requires that the buffer-bar should be disposed in, approximately, a horizontal position when the screen door strikes it with considerable force so that the force of the blow delivered by the door will be sustained by the resilient bar and spring, for preventing excessive vibration and noise. Also further operation requires that the bufferbar shall be moved or pressed outwardly oit the casing by the spring 141 for re-engagement with the door, so that secondary and lesser shocks may be absorbed, and that the bar may be swung upwardly in the casing to permit the door to be disposed in closed relation with the door frame, this upward swinging movement being caused, in part, by pressure of the door upon the outer end of the bar and, in part, by the spring 14 which, while retracted, prevents a horizontal movement of the bar and causes it to move in a circles arc.

I claim as my invention,-

1. In a shock absorbing device, a stationary support including a stop-member, a buffer-bar normally disposed in approximately a horizontal position with its inner end adjacent to the stop-member and with its outer end `pfojecting outwardly of: the plane of the support, and a spring connected with the support and said bar for normally resisting a horizontal movement of the bar and for causing a swinging movement of the bar when moved to dispose its outer end in the plane of said support.

2. In a shock absorbing device, a casing having a stop-member, a buffer-bar within and having an end-portion normally projecting outwardly of the casing, means to normally support the bar in a horizontal position, and means engaging the casing and said bar for resisting a horizontal movement of the bar, and for causing the bar to swing to an inclined position when. moved inwardly of the casing.

In testimony whereof, I haver aIiiXed my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

I-IIRAM A. S'rmions, ARTHUR H. S'roncns. 

